Electrical connector having adjustable-size socket openings and removable plugs

ABSTRACT

An electrical connector for accommodating plugs and sockets having different standard configurations. Some of the grounding plug pins are removable and may be inserted in any one of several socket holes as required. The socket holes are provided with spring-loaded bails to accommodate various diameter plug pins of either circular or rectangular cross section.

United States Patent 1111 3,626,355

[72] Inventor Jean C. Nudelmont 3,406,376 10/1968 Varrin .1 339/258 130 Rue J. P. Timbaud, Courbevoie, 2,115,010 4/1938 Douglas... 339/254 France 2,989,719 6/1961 Aarlaht 339/14 P X [21] Appl. No. 815,558 3,134,631 5/1964 Whalen 339/14 R [22] Filed Apr. 14,1969 3,491,441 1/1970 Belsaas 339/218 [45] Patented Dec. 7, 1971 FOREIGN PATENTS Pmmy 2mg 794,339 12/1935 France 339/14 R 8072 1,228,931 3/1960 France 339/14 1,271,165 7/1961 France 339/14 556,548 10/1943 Great Britain 339/218 1 11 l I Sweden l 4 P ADJUSTABLE- IZE O KET EN A D Primary Examiner-Marvin A. Champion REM PLUGS Assistant Examiner- Robert A. Hafer 5 Claims, 3 Drawing F g Attorney-Sughrue. Rothwell, Mion. Zinn & Macpeak [52] US. Cl 339/14 R, 1 Int Cl 339/254 aga iii ABSTRACT: An electrical connector for accommodating I i 339,14 plugs and sockets having different standard configurations. 218 Some of the grounding plug pins are removable and may be 1nserted in any one of several socket holes as required. The [56] Reerences Cited socket holes are provided with spring'loaded bails to accommodate various diameter plug pins of either circular or rectangular cross section.

UNlTED STATES PATENTS 3,383,645 5/1968 Milanese et al 339/258 PATENTEDnEc 11971 3525355 SHEET 1 OF 2 FIG. 1

FIG. 2 FIG. 3

PATENTEDuEr: H97! EJ525355 SHEET 2 OF 2 FIG. 8

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HAVING ADJ USTABLE- SIZE SOCKET OPENINGS AND REMOVABLE PLUGS This invention relates to an electrical extension cord of connecting sockets to plugs of any kind, with or without groundmg.

Many electrical appliances for household use, for industry, or for laboratory use, require that the user modify the connecting plugs which are directly linked to the apparatus used.

There are many types of sockets and plugs which are standardized in certain groups of countries, although the same standards have not yet been adopted by all countries. As a result, apparatuses equipped with a certain type of connecting plug cannot be used, such as they are, in all countries which import these apparatuses.

One solution consists in removing the nonstandard plugs that are connected to the apparatus power circuit and replacing them with plugs that can be used directly with the power sockets.

It sometimes happens that the connecting plugs, instead of being connected to the apparatus power circuit by an electric cord, are joined to the apparatus itself and cannot practically be replaced with standard plugs. In such a case, one must modify the holder of the power socket; this involves not only a useless loss of time but also entails the inconvenience of not being able to use the modified holders when one wants to use apparatuses equipped with standard plugs later on.

According to the invention, we have remedied these inconveniences by means of a new type of extension cord, capable of connecting any socket whatever to connector plugs of the same or a different type.

The principal objective of this invention therefore consists in an electric extension cord with several conductors; each of the conductors links a socket or a plug at one end of the cord with a plug or a socket at the other end of the cord; each socket has an inside diameter at least equal to the maximum diameter of the plugs that might be used, and is equipped with at least one contact ball that is spring biased into the interior of the socket to such a distance that the inside diameter of the socket is reduced to a diameter smaller than the diameter of the connector plug having the minimum diameter used.

This new extension cord thus enables us to receive connec tor plugs with a small or a large diameter and with or without grounding, because we now use the special sockets of the extension cord; this has been impossible so far.

Furthermore, this invention enables us to connect, to a standard power socket, apparatuses whose connector plugs not only have different diameters but also have variable distances between centers.

Likewise, the fact that we provide supplementary sockets equipped with at least one spring-loaded contact element enables us to connect apparatuses equipped with connector plugs having difierent weights, diameters and positions, since a removable connector plug is used when the apparatus is equipped with an auxiliary socket.

On the other hand, tests have shown that the contact resistance of this connector was considerably lower than the earlier used connectors, thus increasing the admissible voltage. This new type of connection furthermore offers the advantage of retaining such features, even when the system is subject to a high-frequency and strong-amplitude vibration. The contract point makes up for the lack of flexibility in the earlier used methodsof connection.

Another object of this invention consists in providing cylindrical sockets, one portion of which is cut by a plane parallel to its axis. This arrangement enables us not only to connect, to a standard power socket, apparatuses equipped with cylindrical plugs having different diameters and distances from the center, but it also enables us to connect flat connector plugs, such as are used in the United States.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view of an extension cord that is the object of this invention;

FIG. 2 shows a rear view of the extension cord supporting plugs that are intended to be connected to a power socket;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the portion of the extension cord that has the sockets intended to receive the connector plugs of any type whatever on the apparatus to be connected;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross section of a portion of the element that carries the connector plugs and the sockets;

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged view of the portion of a socket equipped with a spring contact element;

FIG. 6 shows a schematic cross section of a socket cooperating with a flat connector plug;

FIG. 7 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a modified form of socket having an elastic plate and a movable contact member; and

FIG. 8 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a combined socket construction adapted to receive connecting plugs for printed circuits.

FIG. 1 shows an electrical cord 1, made up of at least three wires. Two of these wires serve for the passage of power current and the third serves for grounding. These wires are electrically connected, at each of their ends, to a socket or to a connector plug, supported by pieces 2 and 3. Thus, two of the wires are connected, respectively, to connector plugs 4 and 5, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, of piece 2, and to sockets or holders 6 and 7, FIG. 3, of piece 3. The third wire connects socket or holder 8 of piece 2, FIG. 2, to the ground connector plug 9 of the piece 3, as shown in FIGS. '1 and 3.

It is clear that the extension cord in 1 is given here only by way of example and that one may arrange a large number of wires so as to connect also the removable connector plugs that might be inserted in piece 2, at points 10 and 11, in FIG. 2, to the sockets l2 and 13, as shown in FIG. 3, of element 3.

Conversely, if the apparatus used does not involve any socket for grounding, removable connector plug 9 is withdrawn and may be placed in slot 14, which is provided in piece 3, said slot serving as a housing recess for removable connector plug 9 when the latter is introduced therein by force.

If the apparatus does involve a plug for the ground connection cooperating, for example, with socket 12, FIG. 3, then we see that it is sufficient for this wire to be connected at 8, I0 or 11, depending upon the nature of the power socket used, 8 here being a socket that receives the ground connector plug and 10 and 11 being the positions for the attachment of a removable connector plug cooperating with the socket of the grounding of the power socket used.

Similarly, one might insert, if necessary, two connector plugs at 12 and 13 on element 3. These connector plugs are indicated by the dotted lines in the drawing.

The power connector plugs, such as 4, in FIG. 4, can be attached permanently to a piece 15 which is incorporated in piece 2. Since these connector plugs are intended to cooperate with a standard power socket, they have predetermined dimensions. In this case, plug 4 reveals va groove 16 which is made in piece 15. The latter may be molded from polypropylene. Portion 17 of connector plug 4, situated inside piece 2, may involve a recess 18 to accommodate a welding connection with one of the electrical wires of cord 1.

The removable connector plugs, such as 9, may be inserted directly into pieces 15 and have a thread cutting only at their end. The wires of cord 1 are connected to them by a conventional mounting, with cable terminal and screw or only with screw.

According to the invention, all of the sockets of the extension cord have an inside diameter at least equal to the diameter of the largest dimension connector plugs that might be used in equipping apparatus to be connected to a standard connecting plug and they are provided with at least one passage intended to receive a contact element subject to the action of a spring.

An illustrative example of a socket construction is shown in FIG. 5, wherein socket 19 has an opening 20, allowing the passage of a portion of the spherical ball 21. This ball is constantly applied against opening 20 of socket 19 by means of a spring 22 whose ends rest in notches 23 and 24 of a cup piece 25 welded to the socket l9 along line 26.

According to the invention, the penetration of ball 21 into the interior of socket 19 is such that the inside diameter of this socket is reduced to a value smaller than that of the connecting plug with the smallest diameter that might possibly be used on the apparatus to be connected.

By way of example, the inside diameter of socket 19, figured without taking into account the ball is slightly larger than 4.8 mm.; in other words, the maximum diameter of connecting plugs that might be used. The inside diameter, figured after the introduction of the ball, is slightly smaller than 4 mm., the minimum diameter of connecting plugs that might be used.

Thus, regardless of the dimensions of the connecting plugs used, free contact is established with the socket, while spring 22 is compressed in its cup 25 to a degree depending upon the diameter of the connecting plug used. This arrangement offers the advantage of maintaining perfect electrical connection even when the contacts are subject to strong vibration.

On the other hand, in order to take into account the differences between the centers for the various types of connecting plugs, we arrange the balls in the sockets 6 and 7 in the vicinity of points 27 and 28 (FIG. -3). In this way, we can guarantee perfect contact, regardless of the connecting plugs of the apparatus used.

In case the apparatus involves flat connecting plugs, we provide sockets 29, FIG. 6, which are similar to sockets 6 and 7, although a portion of them, constituted by a section made perpendicularly to the distance-between-center line, has been withdrawn. Under these conditions, flat connecting plugs, such as 30, are in engagement with the edges 31 and 32 of socket 29.

An an alternative, spring 22 may be a coil spring, one of whose ends supports a ball 21 while its other end is supported on the bottom of housing 25. Several balls can be used to equip the socket and all of these balls together can be driven toward the interior of the socket by a single spring or by individual springs. The balls, which are arranged parallel to the axis of the socket, can also be replaced by a single piece that may have a groove parallel to the axis and whose cross section may have a curvature of the same radius as the connecting plug with the same diameter.

Likewise, sockets 12 and 13 can receive not only cylindrical connecting plugs but also flat connecting plugs; these sockets may contain a slot parallel to the axis of the socket and cooperating with a flat connecting plug, with element 15 itself supporting the appropriate slots for the introduction of flat connecting plugs and balls, each cooperating with the section of one element.

According to another version, shown in FIG. 8, we combine, with a socket of the type shown in FIG. 5, whose dimensions are designed to receive connecting plugs with diameters varying between 4 and 4.8 mm., another socket 50 designed to receive the connecting plugs for printed circuits, whose diameters vary between 2 and 3 mm. For this purpose, we replace the housing 25 for the spring resting on ball 21 with a housing made up of a tubular piece 52 inside which we have a spiral spring, one of whose ends rests on a first ball, such as 21, while its other end pushes back a second ball 56 with a smaller diameter, designed to establish contact with the small-diameter connecting plugs specially used for printed circuits. The tubular piece may be either cylindrical or tapered as shown in FIG. 8, with one of its ends being welded around the opening, such as 20, for socket 19, while the other end is welded around a similar opening with a smaller diameter for the socket that receives the printed circuit connecting plugs. This solution is extremely practical when we want to..connect printed circuits to a power network.

Finally, in case we use connecting plugs of various types, especially flat connecting plugs of the American type, as well as cylindrical connecting plugs, we have, in addition to the ball 21, a metallic, elastic plate 40 (see FIG. 7) with one of its ends (not shown) attached to the body of the socket, while the other end, near the orifice of the socket 19, where the connecting plug is introduced, is free so that it can move laterally,

as shown in broken lines in FIG. 7. In this way, a cylindrical connecting plug pushes back the ball 21 by supporting itself along a generatrix on the plate 40, arranged perpendicularly to the plane of symmetry of the socket and the ball, whereas a flat connecting plug rests on the entire surface of the metallic, elastic plate.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical connector having first and second sockets adapted to receive plugs of different sizes and cross-sectional shapes, said first socket comprising an opening on a lateral portion thereof facing said second socket, said second socket comprising an opening on a lateral portion thereof facing said first socket opening, a supporting member mounted on and extending between said sockets and surrounding said first and second socket openings, a first movable contact member disposed in said first socket opening and said supporting member, a second movable contact member disposed in said second socket opening and said supporting member, and a spring in said supporting member in engagement with said first and second contact members to bias them toward the interior of the first and second sockets, respectively, each of said contact members being larger than its respective socket openings so as to be prevented from moving completely through the opening by engagement with the adjacent portion of the socket defining the opening.

2. An electrical connector in accordance with claim 1 wherein said second socket has a smaller diameter than said first socket.

3. An electrical connector socket adapter to receive plugs of difierent sizes and cross-sectional shapes, said socket comprising a circular opening on a lateral portion thereof, a supporting member mounted on said socket and surrounding said opening, said supporting member having a pair of notches on its interior surface, a ball disposed in said opening and said supporting member, and a leaf spring disposed in said supporting member and having its free ends disposed in said notches, said spring being resiliently deformed into a curved shape with the curved midportion of said spring being in engagement with said ball, said ball having a diameter larger than that of said opening so as to be prevented from moving completely through said opening by engagement with the adjacent portion of said socket defining said opening.

4. An electrical connector comprising a first support piece having at least three sockets, a second support piece having at least three sockets, plugs removably mounted in said first support piece sockets and being removably mountable in said second support piece sockets, wire means electrically connecting said first and second support piece sockets, contact means in each of said sockets for enabling them to receive plugs of different sizes and shapes, said contact means comprising an opening on a lateral portion of each socket, a supporting member mounted on each socket and surrounding said opening therein, a movable contact member disposed in said opening and said supporting member, and a spring in said supporting member in engagement with said contact member to bias it toward the interior of the socket, said contact member being larger than said opening so as to be prevented from moving completely through said opening, said contact member being adapted to extend into the socket a sufficient distance to contact a plug of substantially smaller size than that of the socket.

5. An electrical connector in accordance with claim 4 in which said second support piece is provided with a groove in the outer surface thereof adapted to removably receive a plug therein for storage.

* a an: 

1. An electrical connector having first and second sockets adapted to receive plugs of different sizes and cross-sectional shapes, said first socket comprising an opening on a lateral portion thereof facing said second socket, said second socket comprising an opening on a lateral portion thereof facing said first socket opening, a supporting member mounted on and extending between said sockets and surrounding said first and second socket openings, a first movable contact member disposed in said first socket opening and said supporting member, a second movable contact member disposed in said second socket opening and said supporting member, and a spring in said supporting member in engagement with said first and second contact members to bias them toward the interior of the first and second sockets, respectively, each of said contact members being larger than its respective socket openings so as to be prevented from moving completely through the opening by engagement with the adjacent portion of the socket defining the opening.
 2. An electrical connector in accordance with claim 1 wherein said second socket has a smaller diameter than said first socket.
 3. An electrical connector socket adapted to receive plugs of different sizes and cross-sectional shapes, said socket comprising a circular opening on a lateral portion thereof, a supporting member mounted on said socket and surrounding said opening, said supporting member having a pair of notches on its interior surface, a ball disposed in said opening and said supporting member, and a leaf spring disposed in said supporting member and having its free ends disposed in said notches, said spring being resiliently deformed into a curved shape with the curved midportion of said spring being in engagement with said ball, said ball having a diameter larger than that of said opening so as to be prevented from moving completely through said opening by engagement with the adjacent portion of said socket defining said opening.
 4. An electrical connector coMprising a first support piece having at least three sockets, a second support piece having at least three sockets, plugs removably mounted in said first support piece sockets and being removably mountable in said second support piece sockets, wire means electrically connecting said first and second support piece sockets, contact means in each of said sockets for enabling them to receive plugs of different sizes and shapes, said contact means comprising an opening on a lateral portion of each socket, a supporting member mounted on each socket and surrounding said opening therein, a movable contact member disposed in said opening and said supporting member, and a spring in said supporting member in engagement with said contact member to bias it toward the interior of the socket, said contact member being larger than said opening so as to be prevented from moving completely through said opening, said contact member being adapted to extend into the socket a sufficient distance to contact a plug of substantially smaller size than that of the socket.
 5. An electrical connector in accordance with claim 4 in which said second support piece is provided with a groove in the outer surface thereof adapted to removably receive a plug therein for storage. 